The Liberal MP will need to see how preferences unfold after attracting 39.91 per cent of the primary vote down from 54.61 per cent.

Mr Tilley was being challenged by independents Jacqui Hawkins and Jenny O’Connor who ended up with 16.91 per cent and 13.04 per cent of the votes.

Labor candidate Mark Tait drew 17.61 per cent.

Those figures are based 77.87 per cent of the vote being counted by the Victorian Electoral Commission.

“It’s too premature at this stage (to claim victory),” Mr Tilley said on Saturday night.

“This will probably go for a couple of days yet, we’ll leave that up to the VEC.

“As far as the campaign has gone, it’s been an extraordinary privilege the last 12 years to have the trust and confidence of the Benambra district to represent them in the parliament.”

Ms Hawkins was pleased with the result.

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“This is sending a clear message to Tilley, he hasn’t got his 40 per cent and that’s telling us about what this seat wants, they want leadership that represents them,” Ms Hawkins said.

“I’m very happy with our campaign, it was a positive, respectful and values driven campaign.”

ABC election analyst Antony Green predicted Benambra could be in doubt as late as Tuesday week, when preference distributions unfold.

Federal member for Indi Cathy McGowan attended Ms Hawkins election party.

“It’s going to take a long time before we get a result,” Ms McGowan said.

Mr Tilley won 28 of the district’s 31 polling booths.

All three of his losses were to Ms O’Connor, with the former Indigo mayor claiming her hometown Beechworth booth and nearby Stanley and Yackandandah. 

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